Be Seeing You
by Chemy
Summary: Ethan has had enough of the Initiatives 'hospitality'. May spoil some plotlines in Season 4.


"Be Seeing You" 

Disclaimer: Based Upon "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Related names are registered trademarks of Joss Whedon and 20th Century Fox All Rights Reserved

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_Lights out, all sections lights out_

"Oh shut up" Ethan grumbled aloud at the monotone synthetic female voice that sounded right before the nightly dimming of the lights and the dull ominous thuds of the master locks shutting down the long corridor of _guests._

"How you doin' in there pops?"

Ethan fixed the insidious youth with an angry stare, he couldn't have been much older than maybe twenty two yet there he stood addressing him with a butchered English accent and a hair cut so close it had to be depriving what passed for a brain in there of much needed warmth.

"Just dandy" He positively growled and watched with delight at the young mans sunny disposition fading ever so slightly

"Just don't go gettin' ideas in there" He said nervously, never taking his eyes off Ethan's dimly lit profile stretched out in the darkness on the metal slab they called a bed

"Wouldn't dream of it" Ethan replied cryptically

The young man faded another shade of white and just nodded before marching off down the corridor and shutting down the door on the far end with the same dull thud as the other.

Ethan sighed heavily, tormenting the grunts was proving to be the only amusement he could find in the sterile plastic prison they had stuffed him in. Though still in Sunnydale he doubted this was the main Initiative complex. No, they had said something about a more…humane, or rather Human, facility.

The glass of the cell, if it even was glass, reflected what little light there was reflecting from small recessed lighting outside the cell and was still probably hooked up to whatever electrical correction grid they had around here, wouldn't do to go touching that…again.

He lay there staring at the low ceiling a while, the same sterile white and grey as the rest of the cells, the rest of the building more than likely. Each panel custom fit, no way to pry one open. _Not that the cutlery around here could stand up to it _he chuckled, tossing aside the flimsy plastic knife he had managed to keep back, chipped away from hours of trying to inch one tiny tile open. And failing.

He grinned broadly and reached a hand behind his head under the pillow and grabbed what he was looking for. A small bunch of salt packets provided with every meal, apparently this idiots weren't smart enough to check that the packet wasn't on the tray afterwards, probably thought there weren't worth the bother.

"Wrong…" Ethan stopped short of an actual cackle of delight and dropped into a crouch on the floor quietly

He opened each one carefully and started spilling the salt in a thin circle all around him until it was complete, small and cramped given how little he had to work with, but it would do.

"Now for the hard part" He lifted the broken knife and found a good sharp chip in the blade and gritted his teeth

With a quick flick of the knife edge the blood ran free. He took a deep breath and subdued the pain, ignoring it and began a low chanting, from out of nowhere a soft breeze emerged and blew around him.

_Alert, all sections sound general quarters_

"What's going on?" The burly man shouted over the din at the young officers around him already moving towards the cells armed with the standard stun rifles

"One of the alarms in the cells just sounded sir, taking my team over there to check it out"

"Understood, report in as soon as you find anything"

"Yes sir, ok move out" The older officer shouted and pointed out the entrance to the cell block

"Over here" One of the younger soldiers called out to the others, keeping a steady aim right at the transparent cell door

"What is it?" The older man asked noting the empty cell "There's no one in there"

"That's my point sir, this is Hostile 51's cell" The young man pointed to the keypad, the active inmate symbol was lit, as was the alarm light blinking idly

"This doesn't make sense, the doors are still sealed, how can the alarm have sounded?"

"Sir look" The young man spoke again but he sounded shaken, backing off from the doorway

The team had gathered around the cell, staring into the dark unoccupied unit, dim red emergency lights casting an ominous glow throughout the room and corridor, an unearthly silence apart from one small klaxon repeating its mournful call.

The officer stepped closer and peered deeper into the room and at once spotted what had spooked his lieutenant, a small barely visible circle lined the floor, a puddle of dark red liquid at its centre.

"Damnit" He mumbled to himself "Open it up" He stepped aside for the lieutenant to pass

"Sir?"

"You heard me!"

The young man hesitated but eventually edged over to the control panel and removed a key card from his vest and slid the thin metal card through the panel and pushed a few buttons, peering sideways into the room carefully as he did so.

The doors hissed and slide open. For a moment no one moved. The officer was the first to move, stepping inside his listened but heard nothing. The room was only a few feet deep and wide, there was no place for anyone to hide.

"This is damn pec…" He was cut short by a fist to the jaw sending him back into two of the team and knocking them hard against the wall

"What the hell?" The younger man exclaimed in panic and pointed his weapon at the spot the officer had stood, and saw nothing

"Sorry" A voice seemed to say from thin air "Can't stay"

The young man was hit hard across the jaw and sprawled to the ground unconscious. The officer and the other two men scrambled to their feet and looked around, nothing but the same dim red light and wailing alarm. The young mans rifle jerked slightly drawing their attention, then lifted clean into the air on its own and pointed right at them.

"A little trick I learned" The voice spoke again making them jump "I'll be checking out now"

They started forward with their own weapons raised only to receive a bolt of pure electrical energy, they collapsed to the ground twitching. The rifle fell from the air to the floor and footsteps could be heard along the corridor, a metal card lifted from the unconscious officer and disappeared into the air.

"Hope you don't mind me borrowing this"

The sound of running feet echoed along the corridor and rooms as technicians stumbled, an invisible force thumped into them as it passed, sending them and their equipment and papers flying in all directions. Each section was quiet and few people were still at their posts, no one else noticed the rustling of the air as the unseen inmate rushed by.

The flights of stairs and various doors were more of an inconvenience than an obstacle, obviously they were so over confident as to think those cells alone would hold their prisoners.

"Simple minded fools, no idea what they're dealing with" Ethan scoffed aloud at the thought of these people hunting and capturing powerful demons and making a poor lab assistant jump at the sound, her squeal drawing unneeded attention

The closer he got to the exit the more soldiers he passed, young as they were they were armed a little more heavily than he could handle right now. The corridors were becoming more secure, he timed his movements carefully, following right behind certain personnel as they walked through protected doorways and was almost there when someone further along stopped to stare.

"Not now" He hissed in a low tone and caught the faintest outline of himself in a highly polished surface nearby

He bolted for the door and flung it open, not caring what noise he made now and hauled himself up the ladder loudly and flung himself against the hatch. It took some effort but it gave, he pulled himself up the last few feet and climbed out onto the cool damp grass and looked around at the street lamps casting their artificial light over Sunnydale.

He took several deep breaths and smiled at the view of the sleepy town below, unsure of exactly where he was or which of the tiny lights below belonged to those…people who had put him in here.

"Don't worry old friend, I'm not done with you y…"

"He's up there"

"Bugger" He balled his fists and flinched at the stinging sensation from his cut hand "Just shut up and run"

He mumbled to himself and started running, the damp of the cold night air hitting his lungs as he ran for the trees and nearly slipping several times. A blur from his side, his hands, the glamour was about to wear off and who knows how many Initiative personnel were about to come after him.

He managed to stumble in a dense patch of trees just as three unpleasant looking grunts emerged from the hatchway and eyed their surroundings like a hawk. He looked back to his hand, a long red gash fully visible, as were his fingers and everything else now.

He cast one last glance at the baffled soldiers and strolled on into the woods towards Sunnydale leaving them, and their little endeavour, behind.


End file.
